Tuesday, October 12, 2010

The use of `anâshîd in the new issue of AQAP's "Inspire" magazine

The international anti-terrorism community and to a lesser extent the jihâdi internet forums are abuzz with the news. Al Qâ'idah fî Jazîrah al 'Arab (AQ on the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP) has released the second issue of its English magazine "Inspire". You will read much about this the coming days. Pretty much of it will be alarmism and/or utter bulls**t. Some people will come up with a good analysis.

While I didn't plan to say something about the magazine after reading it through and after today mornings post I had to change my mind. I will post something about `anâshîd (Islamic songs without music). `Anâshîd are used as background or intro "music" in almost every video release of salafî (rigid group within Islâm, in this context AQ and company). So how is that important?

Music is an important theme in culture. Especially youth may define themselves by music and the corresponding culture. Furthermore music affects emotions and may enforce them. The music of the jihâdi culture are `anâshîd.

Three`anâshîd arementioned in the new magazine. The first one is "Sir
ya bin Ladin". Samîr Khân says in his article that he listened to the nashîd while on the road to join AQAP. But let him tell you this himself:

"I remember when I traveled from Sana'a, for what seemed like years, in a car to one of the bases of the mujahidin, the driver played this one nashīd repeatedly. It was ‘Sir ya bin Ladin’. I already knew of this nashīd from before, but something had struck me at that moment. The nashīd repeated lines pertaining to fighting the tyrants of the world for the purpose of giving victory to the Islamic nation. But it also reminded the listener that Shaykh Usama bin Ladin is the leader of this global fight. I looked out the window at the tal mud houses below the beautiful sky and closed my eyes as the wind blew through my hair. I took a deep breath to let it all out."

(Samîr Khân: I am proud to be a traitor to America, in: Inspire 2 by al Malahem, released on October 11th, 2010)

Samîr Khân is an Americanjihâdi blogger who was pretty famous in the international anti-terrorism community and to a lesser extent the jihâdi internet forums (he was quite known in the English ones, I mean he participated in them). If we take a peek at his old blog we find some of his words on `anâshîd:

"We all love the Arabic jihadi anasheed, but how often do we say the same of the English ones? That’s because they barely exist! So if brothers in the West can create a jihadi nasheed group (or single artists), that would be a huge step forward in the jihad media field and it’s possible that we’ll see those english anasheed being used in some of the official jihad videos."

Samîr Khân is believed to be the brain behind the Inspire magazine. His love for`anâshîd may explain that some are featured in "Inspire."

"This is a great classic which shows Abu ‘Ali singing some anasheed. When I saw this a few years back, it was the first time I was exposed to Jihadi Anasheed."

(Samîr Khân, Abu 'Ali singing live from Hijaz, in: The Ignored Puzzle Pieces of Knowledge, posted on March 05th, 2009)

Just for you to be in the same state of knowledge as Samîr Khân - the nashîd:

Let's come to the other `anâshîd that are mentioned. To be precise they aren't mentioned. They are translated to English.

Page 67, "Oh my Ummah be happy"

Page 67 of the new "Inspire" magazine

and page 71, "Please excuse me mother" - I couldn't find one with these exact lyrics.

"Please excuse me, O love of my life.
You have always been a mother of mercy.
Forgive me for the errors of my days,
And pardon me for that phase.
I know that I have wounded your heart,
Since I frequently experience the same dart.
But Paradise is calling me to conquer my fears
Thus I flew across the sea leaving you in tears…
Please excuse me, and don’t say
That I separated myself from you to play.
How is it that I separated my soul
From the one who kept me from the cold?
How is it that I make you cry,
When you are the one most precious to my soul and eye?
You are more precious than the day which my heart loves
As the thought of you gathers the most beautiful doves.
If you knew all the facts
You would certainly relax.
So lend me your compassion,
As I explain myself in succinct words of expression.
Mother, the Muslim’s humiliation is called peace,
And the heedless Rulers have put the Ummah up for a lease.
Mother, the Regimes of Sabotage have gathered on our land,
Sinking our Ummah's nobility to that of sand.
Mother, Palestine is the little child under the rubble,
And her grieving mother can only be heard in a bubble.
Mother, I can’t let this humiliation continue,
Allowing the disbelievers to rape our Nation in the holiest of venues.
The enemy will shout, yell and scream
But I will continue to let my heart beam
For I have put my worries behind my nation's,
Preparing myself to leave all of life's stations,
Even if it means that I fight and die,
Without saying goodbye.
Mother, I want to be above all of the strife,
So please excuse me, O love of my life."

The second one is quite similar to the one performed by the suicide bomber who attacked the Danish embassy in Islâmâbâd.

If you read and/or watch them think about what Samîr Khân had and has to say about `anâshîd. For further reading on `anâshîd see here, here, here and hereand I suppose in many other posts on that blog too.If any one out there got a youtube link (or something like that) for the last nashid feel invited to comment.